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Thursday, October 23, 2014

GeekRex Horror Essentials: Body Horror

Halloween
is fast approaching, and the mood for horror movies has been struck. If
you're looking for something scary to watch, look no further: all month
we'll be giving our list of essentials horror movies in a given
subgenre! This time: Body Horror Movies!

Kyle's Pick

Eraserhead (1977)Directed by David Lynch

One of Lynch's few pure horror films, his debut feature was a surreal nightmare-scape. It's an experience that defies easy answers and is full of symbolism, but can be boiled down to: a story of a young man's fears about impending adulthood. The "body horror" aspect is about as unsettling as you can imagine, related to both his recently born child, a swollen cheeked woman our protagonist has visions of, and the title of the film. It's the beginning of a brilliant career, and maybe the most disturbing film I've ever seen.

Hannah's Pick

eXistenz (1999)

Directed by David Cronenberg

eXistenz is one of those movies that you'll carry vivid memories of for years. The premise is simple enough - the dangers of a virtual reality world that becomes real. But rather than having a glossy, high-tech vibe, eXistenz feels much closer to present or even past day, using organic-looking matter in the place of computers and video screens.

Shane's Pick

Hellraiser (1987)Directed by Clive Barker

This was a hard pick for me as body horror is not necessarily a genre I have too much experience in. Featuring quite the amount of grotesque body horror and S&M monsters, Hellraiser is probably one of the more unique 80's horror films out there for you to check out. Although don't bother with any of the sequels...

Harper's Pick

The Fly (1986)

Directed by David Cronenberg

Cronenberg is arguably the master of body horror, The Fly is his most horrific. The story of the scientist forced to test his incredible invention on himself gone monstrously awry is one that is creepy and gross, but more importantly utterly heartbreaking.

Alexander's Pick

Videodrome (1983)

Directed by David Cronenberg

As Harper says, Cronenberg is the master. But if The Fly is his most horrific, made all the more so by Goldblum's relatability and the movie's almost romantic undertones, Videodrome is his chilliest. One of the most prescient horror films ever made, Videodrome smartly predicted a lot about online culture, and then took it about ten steps too far, as Max Renn's obsession with a pirated bit of pornography begins to make it difficult for him to tell the difference between reality and fantasy... and, eventually, begins to transform his body in horrific, uncontrollable ways.